Exciting themes await the visitors at the forthcoming glasstec from 21 to 25 October 2008 in Düsseldorf. The main focus of the leading international fair is on energy-efficient glass products and applications, the latest finishing and processing technologies, solar energy products as well as innovations connected with the technical glazing sector.

Energy-efficient construction technology is taking giant leaps forward and becoming increasingly significant in view of constantly rising energy prices and the necessity of growing climatic protection. In this context the material glass is assuming central significance - as large-scale roof or facade glazing, selective window glass and, increasingly, also as a component in photovoltaic or solar thermal energy modules.

New glazing and applications
Leading glass manufacturers and finishers from all over the world such as Saint-Gobain, AGC, PPG, Trösch, Scheuten and Interpane will make use of glasstec from 21 to 25 October to present their solutions for the future to the trade world. Their product spectrum has once again become larger: triple insulation glazing, which fulfils the highest heat insulation requirements, the latest generation of functional coatings for the hardening and bending of coated glazing, and not least new switchable and light-directing glazing will arouse the interest of the trade visitors. Also in the area of finished glazing for interior applications: the further development of silk-screen and digital printing as well as insert-lamination for the most diverse materials such as wood, metal etc. are offering highly attractive new design possibilities and variations.

The increasing involvement of the glass industry in the strongly growing worldwide sectors of solar energy and thin-glass technology will also clearly make its presence felt during glasstec 2008: internationally-operating companies such as Solarwatt AG, Schott and Schollglas among others are coming to Düsseldorf with new solar energy modules, innovations in the area of thin-film technology and product highlights from the broad application area of thin glazing.

Highly efficient processing technologies
The precondition for the manufacture of a large spectrum of functional glazing is highly specialized mechanical engineering and technology. To this end, in addition to the world’s leading industrial glass mechanical engineering companies such as Bystronic, Grenzebach, Lisec, glaston and Hegla, numerous small and medium-sized manufacturers will also be represented in this key trade fair segment in Düsseldorf. This year the focal point of the presentations will be even more efficient lines for insulation glass production, laminated glass production, glass hardening and glass finishing. Here we expect a continuation of the automation trend aimed at increasing efficiency. In order to offer users greater flexibility in their product design, an increasing number of mechanical engineers are also preferring to use modular construction systems. In view of the worldwide boom in solar energy technology, quite a number of mechanical engineers have expanded their product range to include corresponding processing technologies. Just which companies are placing their faith in this forward-looking market will also be revealed at glasstec 2008.

Unique product diversity of the external suppliers
The external suppliers from all over the world are traditionally also strongly represented at the world's leading glass trade fair. Sealing materials, silk-screen paints, films, nano coatings, fittings and tools – at glasstec the trade fair visitor will find everything the market has to offer the glass industry in terms of forward-looking products. Global players such as for example Bohle along with several hundred small and medium-sized companies will present a large range of new solutions in the Düsseldorf exhibition halls, which are aimed at further optimizing glass finishing and once again extending the spectrum of finishing technologies and glass applications. Here too the industry is firmly focused on the markets of the future. In this connection Bohle is now already announcing the new, small micro-patterned cutting wheel for the mechanical cutting of wafer-thin TFT LSD and display glazing with excellent edge precision.

“glass technology live” presents visions of the future
glasstec 2008 will set new record-breaking figures in terms of exhibitor numbers, exhibition space and the diversity of the theme spectrum. In structuring the support programme the organizers are also attaching greater significance to presenting the entire product and application diversity. The motto of the “glass technology live” special show and the supporting five-day trade symposium is “Glass and energy”. The other topics on the theme agenda delivered by the top-ranking speakers at the symposium include among others building-integrated solar energy systems, ultra-white and switchable glazing, vacuum glazing and the promising-future thin-film, solar energy module technology. More than 50 renowned architects’ offices, companies and research institutes have already confirmed their participation.

Architects’ congress on facade technology
The use of state-of-the-art functional glazing is also set to dominate the themes at the International Architects’ Congress on 24 October. As far back as 2006, this specialist event with more than 500 delegates held parallel to glasstec proved to be very successful. In tried-and-tested cooperation with the North Rhine-Westphalian Chamber of Architects (Architektenkammer Nordrhein-Westfalen) and TU Delft (Technical University), the organizers at Messe Düsseldorf are this year once again offering architects and planners a whole range of useful specialist information and ideas for their work. “Transparency! Glass and Facade Technology” is the motto of the event under which the latest products, technologies, trends and research results will be presented. Participation can be perfectly easily combined with a visit to glasstec and the glass technology live Special Show and is recognized as a continuation training event.